Every day, across our hospital, extraordinary people go above and beyond – not for recognition, but because they care. The You Make a Difference Awards shine a light on those moments of compassion, courage and commitment that truly change lives.
This month, we’re proud to share three remarkable stories:
- Surya Layton, Phlebotomist and Meditation Guide
- David Ayeni, Senior Building Officer, Minor Works Team
You Make a Difference – Winner: Surya Layton, Phlebotomist and Meditation Guide
Surya Layton has been part of the CUH team since June 2010, when she joined as a part-time phlebotomist at the Rosie Blood Test department. Over the years, her work has expanded, she now splits her time between the Glucose Tolerance Testing Clinic, supporting pregnant women, and the Oncology Blood Test department.
Two very different settings, but in both of them, Surya brings exactly the same thing: a gentleness and calmness that makes a real difference to the people she looks after.
Her manager, Christine Ward, describes someone who has a rare ability to put patients at ease. She explains procedures clearly, in language people can actually understand, and that simple act — taking the time to talk someone through what’s about to happen, can turn a stressful visit into something much more manageable.
She has a gentleness and calmness about her when she speaks to patients and staff. She explains procedures in a manner that they understand, which enables their visits to be less stressful.
Christine Ward, Service Manager, Physicians Assistants
That quality, that quiet steadiness, runs through everything Surya does. And a couple of years ago, she found another way to bring it to the people around her.
Something she does entirely in her own time
Surya started a voluntary meditation and mindfulness group for CUH staff. No fanfare, no fuss. She simply offered something she believed could help, and she gave up her own time to do it.
More than three years on, she’s still doing it. Every week, without fail.
The group has grown steadily, not through advertising or persuasion, but because word spread. People came once, found it genuinely useful, and came back. Then they told a colleague. That kind of quiet growth is the most honest measure of whether something is working.
Over time, the group has steadily grown in size, reflecting the value and positive impact it has on those who participate.
For the staff who attend, the sessions offer something that can feel hard to come by on a busy hospital shift: a moment of stillness. A chance to breathe, to step back from the noise of the day, and to return to work feeling a little more like themselves.
The sessions provide a peaceful and restorative break from the demands of our shifts — a sense of space, a calming environment, and an opportunity for reflection before returning to daily work.
The difference it makes
Colleagues who have been nominated Surya talk about what the sessions have meant to them personally. Not in abstract terms, but in practical, honest ones. The chance to step away from the norm. To re-evaluate. To find, again, the motivation to face whatever the rest of the day holds.
Working in a hospital is demanding in ways that are hard to describe to anyone who hasn’t done it. The work is meaningful, but it takes something from you too. What Surya has created is a space where colleagues can quietly replenish, and she’s done it entirely off her own back, as a gift to the people she works alongside.
Surya most definitely makes a meaningful difference to each and every person who attends her sessions.
She is, as Christine puts it, a very professional, kind and caring individual. The nominations that led to this award reflect exactly that. The whole team is proud that her contribution has been recognised.
Congratulations, Surya. You made a difference.
Free weekly meditation sessions — all staff welcome
Surya’s sessions are open to everyone at CUH. If you’d like to come along, here’s everything you need to know.
Non-urgent advice: Every Monday lunchtime | 12:15 – 12:45
Sessions are held in various locations, usually the Rosie Seminar Rooms.
Email Surya for details: suryamani.layton1@nhs.net
Come and enjoy a Mindfulness of Breathing Meditation or a Loving Kindness Meditation — a calming half-hour in the middle of your working day.
Surya is an experienced meditator with over 30 years of practice and has guided meditation in many settings. Sessions are free and no experience is needed.
You Make a Difference – Winner: David Ayeni Senior Building Officer, Minor Works Team
David Ayeni joined the Minor Works team in April 2022 as a Project Manager. Within seven months, he had been promoted to Senior Building Officer. That kind of progression tells you something about David, but it doesn’t tell you everything.
In his day-to-day role, David leads the delivery of Minor Works schemes right across the Trust. That means coordinating surveys, working with clients to develop designs and costings, managing contractors, and making sure every project comes in safely, on time, on budget, and within the governance frameworks the Trust requires. It’s a job that asks a lot of someone. David makes it look straightforward.
David is a highly committed and dependable professional who consistently demonstrates excellent leadership, sound technical judgement, and a calm, solutions-focused approach.
Tina Holbrook, Minor Works Manager
Those who work with him describe a person who is steady under pressure, someone who doesn’t get flustered when things get complicated, but quietly works out what needs to happen next. Clinical stakeholders trust him. Colleagues rely on him. Contractors respect him. That combination isn’t easy to achieve, and David has earned it.
But it’s one particular project that really brought his contribution into focus.
The ED refurbishment
The Emergency Department refurbishment was, by any measure, a significant undertaking. The scale and value of the project placed it at the upper end of what Minor Works at CUH would typically take on. The stakes were high, the complexity was real, and the timing mattered, this was a project that needed to land before winter pressures hit.
David delivered it ahead of schedule.
That’s not something that happens by accident. Throughout the project, David was meticulous. He kept a close eye on every detail, not in a way that slowed things down, but in a way that meant problems were caught early, before they had the chance to become actual problems. When you’re coordinating multiple teams and contractors on a live hospital site, that kind of proactive thinking makes an enormous difference.
His proactive approach meant potential challenges were resolved before they became issues, and his ability to coordinate with multiple teams and contractors ensured a smooth and efficient delivery, exceeding expectations in both quality and timeliness.
The result is a refurbished ED space that genuinely works better for the people who use it, patients coming through the door at one of the most stressful moments of their lives, and the staff who are there to look after them. The project was ready when winter came. That matters.
The difference David makes
It would be easy to look at David’s record and focus on the headline, a complex project delivered early, to a high standard, on a major part of the hospital. And that is genuinely impressive.
But what his colleagues talk about most is the way he goes about his work. The commitment that’s there every day, not just on the big projects. The professionalism that means people know they can count on him. The leadership that has developed so quickly it’s easy to forget how recently he joined the team.
David is committed, professional and dedicated and we are truly fortunate to have him on the team.
David has become a trusted lead for some of the most complex and high-profile schemes the Minor Works team takes on. That trust has been built through consistent, excellent work, and it is very well deserved.
Congratulations, David. You made a difference.